Our Verdict

Exetel

Exetel's great prices across the full range of broadband options makes them well worth checking out.

Overall 83%

Plans

Extras

Value

Australia now has heaps of internet service providers on the local landscape. These come in all shapes and sizes and offer everything under the sun – but you might have to try hard to find another quality Aussie telco which is still family owned and operated! From humble beginnings, Exetel has now grown across the country and provide telecommunications services for over 120,000 Australians – and 12,000 business users. These statistics and their growing reputation means they can certainly claim to be Australia’s biggest independent internet service provider.

It’s not often that ‘telecommunications’ and ‘great Aussie success story’ are used in the same sentence – but for Exetel Broadband, it’s totally appropriate. Aussie entrepreneur John Linton started Exetel in the basement of his family home half way through the 2000s. Since then, their focus on personalised service and understanding the needs of Aussie internet users has seen them grow and grow. These days, they’re known for being consistent with many of the best ‘Aussie-isms’ out there, including ‘telling it like it is’, ‘giving it to you straight’ and ‘not beating around the bush’. Fortunately for Exetel internet users, in their case these aren’t just clichés. In fact, this attitude has been the cornerstone of the company’s growth and success.

What makes Exetel Broadband unique?

Exetel offers flexible internet plans that suit every user. There’s loads of scope to personalise your deal, meaning that you won’t need to simply accept what’s given to you as is sometimes the case elsewhere. Their home phone bundles are also surprisingly good and relatively unique in the modern market – albeit pretty much only for NBN and Fibre users. Anyone on an Exetel NBN plan gets unlimited local, national, mobile, 1300/13 calls, as well as unlimited international calls to a bunch of overseas countries including UK, New Zealand, USA, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, France, Canada, China, Singapore.

Line rental and guaranteed excellent call quality are also included. While their basement beginnings are well behind them, this doesn’t mean they’ve lost what made them unique. They also remember that Aussies love an underdog; for a smaller provider, they pack plenty of punch. Exetel even took on Australia’s biggest telco in the courts and won. Also, their customer service staff are among the best in the biz.

Exetel Broadband: NBN, ADSL, Fibre and wireless plans

Exetel may have started out in a basement, but they’ve matured a lot since then. They offer some of the most extensive array of options on the Aussie market – including NBN, Fibre, ADSL and Wireless broadband. Pretty much all of them have a flexible no-contract option, which is perfect if you don’t want to be locked in – although there are certain perks for signing a 12-month deal.

NBN plans

Exetel’s NBN plans are known for their flexibility. This is not a one-size-fits-all pair of pants that you’ll have to squeeze into all year round – they’ve got something for everyone, regardless of budget, internet needs and contract commitment. Every plan comes with either a 12-month contract or a month-to-month option, with the contract coming with a free Wi-Fi modem.

From there you need to select your speed. Exetel’s breakdown of speeds gives you options across the spectrum, from a light user-level NBN12 to a moderate user-level NBN50 – and then a premium (NBN100) to choose from. The latter two options are the most suitable for larger households or people who love a good stream.

The next step in this buffet selection of prime-quality Australian broadband is to choose your data limit. The good folks at Exetel give you three options here, again ranging from the 100GB light option, to a moderate 500GB monthly cap. If you’re not in the mood for counting every gig, the unlimited data plan is the perfect fit for you.

Exetel NBN Plans

Premium Speed Unlimited

Up to 80Mbps Premium Evening

Unlimited Data

NBN 100™ Fixed Line

$89.99/mth

Min Cost - $89.99 over 1 month

No direct link supplied

Premium Speed 500GB

Up to 80Mbps Premium Evening

500GB Data

NBN 100™ Fixed Line

$79.99/mth

Min Cost - $79.99 over 1 month

No direct link supplied

Standard Plus Speed 500GB

Up to 40Mbps Standard Plus Evening

500GB Data

NBN 50™ Fixed Line

$59.99/mth

Min Cost - $59.99 over 1 month

No direct link supplied

Standard Plus Speed Unlimited

Up to 40Mbps Standard Plus Evening

Unlimited Data

NBN 50™ Fixed Line

$69.99/mth

Min Cost - $69.99 over 1 month

No direct link supplied

Basic Speed Unlimited

Up to 9Mbps Basic Evening

Unlimited Data

NBN 12™ Fixed Line

$54.99/mth

Min Cost - $54.99 over 1 month

No direct link supplied

Basic Speed 500GB

Up to 9Mbps Basic Evening

500GB Data

NBN 12™ Fixed Line

$49.99/mth

Min Cost - $49.99 over 1 month

No direct link supplied

ADSL plans

Exetel’s ADSL plans are comparatively limited – both in terms of the plans themselves and with regard to the home phone extras that can be thrown in. That said, they still adhere to Exetel’s core ethos of providing good value competitive deals with flexibility to match. Each ADSL plan is based on either a 12-month or a no-contract basis, with both coming with free activation. The 12-month deal comes with a free modem – while both are available with unlimited data. You can also roll it in with a monthly mobile deal to have everything under the one roof.

Fibre plans

Live in an apartment or new housing estate? You may be fibre eligible. Fibre is the way of the future for Aussie internet users, and Exetel has been one of the early adopters. Exetel’s fibre plans are on a 12-month (free modem) or no-contract basis (activation fee), while you will get to choose from Basic (Fibre12), Standard (Fibre25) and Premium (Fibre100). As with NBN, the next stage is to choose your plan data limit, ranging from 100GB, 500GB or Unlimited.

Wireless plans

Then there’s the home wireless broadband plans, which come in all shapes and sizes – as you’d expect. You can choose a month-to-month, 12-month or 24-month plan, the latter of which gets you a great deal on a modem. Speeds aren’t up there with NBN or fibre, but at 12/1 you’ll be able to perform most of the basic to moderate internet activities you’re used to. You can also take it anywhere, which is great for people who love to roam, people for whom where they lay their hat is home (or if you just need to use Wi-Fi on the road from time to time!).

Exetel phone plans

Alright, so we know you might not have that much time now you’ve got a super sweet internet deal — what with all the streaming, surfing and selfies, but from time to time you might want to call on your nearest and dearest and check in. Fortunately, Exetel has some great value phone plans that you can bundle in with your broadband.

For NBN and Fibre users, chip in just a bit extra every month for unlimited local, national, mobile, 1300/13 calls, as well as unlimited international calls to a bunch of overseas countries including UK, New Zealand, USA, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, France, Canada, China, Singapore. Line rental and guaranteed excellent call quality is also included. For ADSL users, call rates to all phones are on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Services and customer satisfaction

You can get in touch with Exetel on 13 39 38, with the same number linking you up to all of their phone services. To order a new service, call between 8am-9pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 7pm on weekends. For technical support, they’re there for you from 8am to 11pm Monday to Sunday. All billing and associated calls are handled 8:30am-5:30pm Monday to Friday.

Continuing their tradition of being up front and transparent, Exetel don’t hide the locations of their call centres likes some other providers – with centres located both locally and in Sri Lanka. In a welcome change, however, they publish call centre wait times on their website, so you know what to expect whenever you call.

Awards and recognition

While we could write you a list as long as your arm about Exetel and what they’re recognised for, we’ve narrowed it down to two key areas: flexibility and independent. They’re the ‘straight-shooting’ provider, who endeavour to be as different from the big guys as possible (except for, you know, where we like the big guys). They’ve also got some of the most flexible plans out there, meaning that you will find something no matter what your needs are. Their no-contract plans are perfect for students and pensioners – but everyone will find something to like about Exetel.

Exetel Broadband: The new generation of Aussie telco

Exetel’s growth is extraordinary, particularly considering their beginnings. While this is admirable, there is in effect no trick to it. They’ve based their model on a simple ethos; they listen to the customer and want to improve everyone’s experience with telcos. For most of us we’ve got at least one frustrating story to tell in our back catalogue, so this is a refreshing approach from a provider who’s now well established on the landscape.